|

DIY Tallow Shampoo Bar (that actually works!)

ByJoelle Kurczodyna Posted on Updated on
152 Comments

Pass it along!

Are you in search of a natural shampoo that actually leaves your hair feeling clean, shiny, and smooth? After years of dealing with that exact scenario, I began making this tallow shampoo bar and it has been the perfect solution. With just a handful of ingredients, I’ll walk you through how you can make them yourself!

Jump To Recipe

My Shampoo Story

It’s no secret that we are big fans of using tallow on our skin around here. Tallow balm, tallow-based sunscreen, and magnesium lotion are just a few of the ways. But when it came to shampoo, I was more skeptical.

For years, I had tried a wide array of natural shampoo options. From no poo, to baking soda and apple cider vinegar, to several expensive natural shampoo brands, my hair was never left feeling like the clean and shiny, smooth that I was going for.

A friend suggested that I try using a shampoo bar and bought me a Lush shampoo bar. Upon first use, I knew this was different than anything I had tried before (in a good way)! After using that shampoo bar for a month or so, I began wondering how I could make something similar myself. 

homemade tallow shampoo bar

That’s when I stumbled upon this recipe for tallow shampoo bars and gave them a go. After making a few tweaks to the recipe, it’s been four years and we still love and solely use these shampoo bars.

How to Make Tallow Shampoo Bars

While making shampoo bars, or any soap for that matter, may sound intimidating, the process is really quite simple with the right tools, ingredients, and following a few important safety procedures.

If you are getting started with soap making, there are a few necessary start up costs, like lye and a soap mold. But once you stock up on the needed ingredients and equipment, we’ve found they quickly pay for themselves in the amount of soap that can be made!

easy tallow shampoo bar recipe

Ingredients Needed:

Olive Oil

Anytime you are purchasing olive oil, it’s important to find a high-quality olive oil. We have a friend from Greece that has her own business selling olive oil from her family’s olive orchards. Her number one tip when buying olive oil is to look on the label and only buy olive oil that says it is from one country. Often, the label will list a few different countries, which she says is a red flag for potential adulteration or a less quality product.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is helpful to give these bars lots of lather that you want in a shampoo. We buy ours from Costco.

Tallow

Tallow is rendered beef fat (suet). High-quality, grass-fed tallow is ideal for maximum nutrients. We purchase our tallow from local farms or butchers. If you don’t know of a local farm in your area, check localharvest.org to find a farmer nearby. Sometimes you can find already rendered tallow. If not, purchase suet (beef fat) to render down to tallow yourself. The process is simple—it just takes some time. We follow this wet method for rendering to eliminate any beefy smell.

tallow shampoo bars ingredients

Castor Oil

Castor oil is high in ricinoleic acid and much anecdotal evidence sings the praises of using castor oil on hair. Look for castor oil in a dark glass jar for avoiding rancidity. We purchase this organic castor oil for making these shampoo bars. 

Lye

Soap is made by combining oils together into a hard bar. This process is called saponification, which requires and alkaline agent in order for the chemical reaction to take place. This is where lye comes in. Lye is used to saponify the oils to creating a firm bar of soap. We use this lye.

Essential Oils (optional)

There are a few specific essential oils that are known for being beneficial for hair. You can use whatever blend that you’d like. We typically use peppermint essential oil. Our favorite place to purchase quality essential oils is Plant Therapy.

tallow shampoo bars in soap mold

Equipment Needed:

Scale
Safety Goggles
Safety Gloves
Immersion blender (blender or food processor could work too)
Soap Mold
Soap Cutter

Tallow Shampoo Bar Recipe

Yield: 8 bars

Ingredients:

10 oz (283.5 g) Olive Oil
10 oz (283.5 g) Coconut Oil
10 oz (283.5 g) Tallow
6 oz (170.1 g) Castor Oil
13.7 oz (388.4 g) water
5.1 oz (144.6 g) lye
1 tbsp Essential oils (optional)

tallow shampoo bar gift idea

Directions:

1. Measure out all 4 of your oils and place in a medium saucepan.

wheighing tallow for shampoo bars

2. Melt olive oil, coconut oil, tallow, and castor oil over med-low heat until melted.

3. While the oils are melting, measure out water in a food grade plastic bucket or stainless-steel bowl (avoid glass because the heat produced in the lye reaction could cause cracks in the glass).

measuring water for lye solution

4. Measure out lye.

5. Once the oils are melted, allow to cool to 100°F. We like to put the saucepan in the fridge to speed this up.

6. While the oils are cooling mix lye solution. We always do this outside while wearing protective goggles and gloves. Slowly pour the lye into the water (never the water into the lye). Stir continuously with a stainless-steel spoon (not wooden). 

wearing proper safety gear to mix water lye solution
adding lye to water and stirring

7. After the water/lye solution is gently but completely mixed, set aside for 10 minutes to cool.

8. Slowly pour the lye solution into the oils and blend with an immersion blender until a vanilla pudding consistency is formed. Don’t over blend.

adding lye solution to oils
using immersion blender to mix oils and lye solution
oils combined with lye solution

9. Add in essential oils and briefly mix in.

10. Pour into soap mold. You can cover with wax paper and flat object on top if desired overnight.

pouring tallow shampoo bar into soap mold

11. 24 hours later, remove soap from the mold and slice into 8 bars. We do this by cutting in half, then cutting the halves into quarters, and finally into eighths. Set on a cookie rack with a towel over it for 4 weeks to cure before using. This will allow the soap to harden and be firm enough to use.

cutting molded shampoo bar in half
cutting shampoo bars into quarters
cutting shampoo bars into eighths

Some of the above links are affiliate links. This means we earn a small commission on qualifying purchases at no cost to you. We are so appreciative of your support!

Tallow Shampoo Bar Frequently Asking Questions:

How do shampoo bars work? 

Shampoo bars are essentially soap bars with specific formulas designed to benefit and clean hair. Once wet, they are activated and will create a lather to clean your hair and scalp. Only a few swipes of the shampoo bar are needed.

Is there a lather? 

Yes! This is one of my favorite parts about these shampoo bars. As opposed to many other natural options that do not produce a lather, these do and feel luxurious.

tallow shampoo bars curing on drying rack

Can I go from using standard shampoo to these shampoo bars? 

Commercial hair products use synthetic chemicals to help give hair its shine. However, over time these synthetic ingredients can build up on hair keeping hair from being able to absorb moisture and turning it dry and brittle. Before making the switch from a commercial shampoo to this tallow shampoo bar, a hair detox may be in order.

What about conditioner? 

Honestly, we’ve found that this tallow shampoo bar works great as both a shampoo and conditioner. However, I’ve talked to others who use this shampoo bar alongside an apple cider vinegar rinse or a homemade dry conditioner.

wrapping tallow shampoo far as gift

Can you use these shampoo bars for other things? 

Yes! Because this shampoo bar is essentially a concentrated soap, it makes a great body soap as well. I’m also experimenting with using it as a dish soap bar for a zero-waste dishwashing option.

Who are shampoo bars for?

These shampoo bars can really be a one-stop-shop for the whole family! Since we’ve started making them, Jim and our kids have started using them for shampoo and body wash.

What’s been your experience with natural shampoo options? Have you tried shampoo bars? We’d love hear what your experience has been! Let us know in the comments below.

diy tallow shampoo bar recipe

DIY Tallow Shampoo Bar

Yield: 8 bars
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Are you in search of a natural shampoo that actually leaves your hair feeling clean, shiny, and smooth? After years of dealing with that exact scenario, I began making this tallow shampoo bar and it has been the perfect solution. With just a handful of ingredients, I’ll walk you through how you can make them yourself!

Ingredients

  • 10 oz (283.5 g) Olive Oil
  • 10 oz (283.5 g) Coconut Oil
  • 10 oz (283.5 g) Tallow
  • 6 oz (170.1 g) Castor Oil
  • 13.7 oz (388.4 g) water
  • 5.1 oz (144.6 g) lye
  • 1 tbsp Essential oils (optional)

Instructions

    1. Measure out all 4 of your oils and place in a medium saucepan.
    2. Melt olive oil, coconut oil, tallow, and castor oil over med-low heat until melted.
    3. While the oils are melting, measure out water in a food grade plastic bucket or stainless-steel bowl (avoid glass because the heat produced in the lye reaction could cause cracks in the glass).
    4. Measure out lye.
    5. Once the oils are melted, allow to cool to 100°F. We like to put the saucepan in the fridge to speed this up.
    6. While the oils are cooling mix lye solution. We always do this outside while wearing protective goggles and gloves. Slowly pour the lye into the water (never the water into the lye). Stir continuously with a stainless-steel spoon (not wooden).
    7. After the water/lye solution is gently but completely mixed, set aside for 10 minutes to cool.
    8. Slowly pour the lye solution into the oils and blend with an immersion blender until a vanilla pudding consistency is formed. Don’t over blend.
    9. Add in essential oils and briefly mix in.
    10. Pour into soap mold. You can cover with wax paper and flat object on top if desired overnight.
    11. 24 hours later, remove soap from the mold and slice into 8 bars. We do this by cutting in half, then cutting the halves into quarters, and finally into eighths. Set on a cookie rack with a towel over it for 4 weeks before using. This will allow the soap to harden and be firm enough to use.

Notes

Equipment Needed:
Scale

Safety Goggles

Safety Gloves

Immersion blender (blender or food processor could work too)

Soap Mold

Soap Cutter

© From Scratch Farmstead

Pin it for later!

Similar Posts

how to make a t-post tomato trellis

T-Post Tomato Trellis – Easy and Foolproof Trellising Method

Whether your tomato plants were just transplanted or they’re a few feet long and flopping over, you need a sturdy, low-cost, and long-term trellis solution. We’ve got you covered with this T-Post Tomato Trellis tutorial. Common Tomato Trellis Options Many methods exist to trellis tomatoes. We’ve tried most of them and ultimately landed on t-posts…

152 Comments

          1. I would like to try it before I invest in the supplies! I think it might be the castor oil solution for my hair and face issues.

      2. I would also love to purchase some shampoo and soap. I could pay for shipping and would love 4 bars and would take the ends as well.

        Reply

        1. Hi! Thanks so much for your interest! We’d love to be able to ship but our little family just doesn’t have the capacity right now. I’d check on Etsy to see if there is a similar shampoo bar there.

          Reply

          1. I made my first batch ever of tallow shampoo/body soap. I’m excited to use for 1st time this coming Tuesday. It’s plain but would love to know how to add color and herbs/ oatmeal. Do you have any directions for this or where could I learn this. Ty. So excited to leave chemicals behind even if it is later in life. Better late then never

          2. Hi – I love your videos! Many thanks! I went to Etsy to try to find a bar with the same ingredients that you use, but so far, all were a bit different. Any idea if any sellers use your same ingredients? Thanks.

          4. I would love to see the “hard” “conditioning” “cleaning” etc. before I make these beautiful bars. 😍 any chance your able to share? I’m unsure on how to add this to the soap calculator as no % are given. Thank you in advance! 😁

          5. Hi! Here’s all of the info!

            Soap Bar Quality Range Your Recipe
            Hardness 29 – 54 43
            Cleansing 12 – 22 21
            Conditioning 44 – 69 53
            Bubbly 14 – 46 36
            Creamy 16 – 48 37
            Iodine 41 – 70 51
            INS 136 – 165 158

      3. I’m sad to find out that you only sell locally. Here is a short story: Back in the mid 90’s I noticed a white film on my hair, being confused what it was because I just washed it so I washed it again and again and again and so on for about two I washed my hair a few times a day in the hottest water my scalp could stand than rinsed it in the coldest water I could stand to get rid of that residue. I quit using conditioner and very picky on the shampoo I use now and don’t use very much, I can’t stand the residue/taste on my face and lips that it leaves. So sense the mid 90’s I can rightfully say I have been looking for a good all around soap to use for everything I just don’t have the means to make it my self. Thank you and hopefully you will one day you will be able to expand.

        Reply

        1. Oh wow! I’m so sorry for what you’ve been dealing with. That doesn’t sound fun at all! We’d love to be able to ship, unfortunately we don’t have the capacity right now. I’d check on Etsy for a shampoo bar with similar ingredients!

          Reply

      4. Would also LOVE to buy them from your sweet family! Please let us know if you get an online shop set up 🙂

        Reply

  2. I use bar shampoo now. I would like to make my own. I have very fine hair and find that some of the oils you are adding may make my hair oily and weighed down. Do you know of others who can speak to this who have used your shampoo?

    Reply

    1. Hi there! My mom has very fine hair as well and she has been using this shampoo bar for years now with no issues and really enjoys it. My hair is thicker so I can’t speak to it personally but I don’t find that it makes my hair oily at all. I usually go one week between washes and don’t use any conditioner and it holds up really well! Hope this helps!

      Reply

  3. I would love to try this but I am concerned about the oils clogging my shower drain. I’ve had trouble in the past with build up in the drain when using natural oils for hair treatments. Your thoughts? Do you have a place you can recommend for buying lye?

    Reply

    1. We’ve been using it for years and we’ve never had issues with the oils clogging the drain. I believe this is because instead of straight oils, the saponification process of turning the oils into soap changes the product so it doesn’t have the same effect with clogging drains as the straight oils would. In the post, we link the lye we’ve purchased for this! Hope this helps!

      Reply

      1. Hello, thank you for posting this recipe. I work with a heritage hog farmer so I’m super excited to be trying this recipe with lard instead of tallow.

        Do you know if the ratios of your recipe can be doubled or tripled, etc.?

        Reply

  5. I make my own lye with wood ashes so it is already a liquid. Do you know how much I would need to use. I make it till it floats and egg so it is strong. I am thinking the 13.7 oz as that is the water amount?? thoughts?

    Reply

    1. Oh, great question and that’s very cool! I’ve never experimented with making my own but I think keeping the same amount of water would make sense if you believe it’s similar strength. Let me know how it goes!

      Reply

    2. So cool that you make your own! I’ve looked up a few videos but still find the process intimidating. Do you have a wood burning stove to obtain all of the ashes?

      Reply

  7. I am currently in my first trimester with baby number 8. I have all the ingredients, and would love to give it a try, but i know castor oil is not great to use when u are prego. Have u used this shampoo bar while pregnant? And u did worry at all about the castor oil? I’m kind of guessing that u used it when u were pregnant, because u have a little on your back! Thanks for the recipe and info!

    Reply

  8. Hello! We have a lot of lard on hand, which I’ve used to make soap with before, but I was wondering if you know if I could use lard instead of tallow in this recipe with the same ratios? Thank you so much!

    Reply

  9. Hi! I am interested in making this recipe. It sounds amazing, and I’m trying to get rid of putting chemicals on and in my body, as much as possible. What size food grade bucket are you using? Thank you! Lori

    Reply

  10. Thank you very much for sharing. I’m just starting soap making so I’ll definitely try this recipe. I have rendered suet for tallow so all set. Looking forward!

    Reply

  12. As a girl growing up (50s & 60s) Grandmother taught me and my sisters to care for our very long hair by: once a week, wash with home made lye soap (she made) or Dove (back before the additives), vinegar to rinse, comb out starting at the bottom work your way up. Throughout the week brush with a natural bristle brush 100 strokes (this distributes your natural oils).
    Now a days when you ask a (Hair Specialist) about getting the natural healthy hair, they say it’s all product. They are never taught anything else. I would love to buy your product when you start mailing. Thank you

    Reply

  14. I know that you are only selling your shampoo bars locally but what I’m wanting to do is try out the shampoo recipe before going all in and making several bars. Do you know of anyone else that would be willing to sell a bar just so I could see if it is what I’m really wanting. Thanks so much for all the information!

    Reply

  16. Hi Joelle,
    Did you have batter left over once your mold was filled? The ingredients total almost 55 oz. so the recipe filled my 50 oz. mold plus 2 of those small pink silicon molds that say “100% Hand Made”. I can’t wait to try it out in a month or so.

    Reply

    1. Hi! Good question! Ours always fills the mold perfectly but it’s very full. All the way to the top or even slightly over. Using the silicone cups is a great idea though for the extra! I hope you love the soap!

      Reply

  17. Hello, thank you for your recipe.
    Can this be made as a liquid form by leaving out the lye and just putting it in a bottle instead?

    Reply

    1. Hi! You’re welcome! I’ve never tried that but you’d have to only use select oils. The tallow and coconut oil are solid at room temperature so that wouldn’t work. I have heard of other having luck just using a drop of castor oil but I don’t have experience with this. Let me know if you find something that works well for you!

      Reply

  18. I absolutely live your channel. I am trying to healthier in the product and foods in my life. I would love to purchase your lye soap. Thank you.

    Reply

    1. Hi! Thank you so much for the encouragement! We aren’t currently shipping right now because of our families limited capacity but thank you so much for your interest!

      Reply

    1. Hi! We are on a well with a water softener. I have noticed on the occasions when we forget to add salt or the softener doesn’t run for whatever reason that I can definitely tell a difference in how my hair feels that I don’t prefer.

      Reply

  21. Hello from Indonesia! I absolutely love watching your videos on homesteading and DIY skincare. Your content is both informative and inspiring! Regarding the shampoo bar, I was wondering if it’s possible to substitute lye with baking soda?

    Reply

    1. Hi there! Thank you for the kind words. Lye is essential in this recipe for the saponification reaction to occur and make soap. Lye is sodium hydroxide vs. baking soda is sodium bicarbonate. Lye is caustic and not safe for consumption but in soapmaking, the saponification process makes it safe for using as soap. Baking soda is non-toxic and great for baking. I hope this helps!

      Reply

  22. Dear Joelle,
    It seems like there are a lot of people who would like to buy your bars of soap and your answer is consistently that you don’t have the capacity to sell outside of your regular locals. Perhaps a solution to that could be to pay (in soap bars) one of your regular buyers to take your bars and mail them out for you, handling all of the marketing end of it. Just a thought.
    I really enjoyed watching you and your sweet baby. I’ve subscribed and am looking forward to seeing more of you.
    Cheri

    Reply

    1. Hi Cheri! Thanks for the suggestion. Figuring out systems to mass produce our soap bars is the biggest thing keeping us from selling them right now. I definitely agree that having the right help would be essential! Thanks! 🙂

      Reply

  23. Hi I made a mistake and thought I could just sub avocado oil for olive oil because it is what I had in my kitchen. I didn’t even consider the fat content is different between these oils and now it’s been 24 hours and I went to cut the bars and they are crumbly. Can they be saved some how or should I toss them and start fresh? I feel so dumb.

    Reply

    1. Oh no! I’ve never experimented with making them with avocado oil but I totally hear where you are coming from because that’s my most common substitution for olive oil as well. In my experience, I’ve had issues with bars being a bit crumbly if I overmixed with the immersion blender. I definitely wouldn’t toss them but stay the course and see what happens. Maybe not ideal for giving as gifts but I’m guessing it should still make a lovely soap!

      Reply

  24. Hi!I am wondering how much each bar costs, as it sounds really expensive to buy all of those ingredients. Could you give me an approximate cost for each bar? Thank you!

    Reply

    1. Hi! We sell each bar (1/8 of the recipe) for $12 but only locally at this point. It is an investment to get all of the ingredients but once you get them, it’s easy to make multiple batches, which make great gifts! Thanks!

      Reply

    1. Hi! Good question. Tallow is a solid at room temperature so it wouldn’t work as a liquid. I’m sure there are other recipes for liquid shampoos but I don’t have experience personally.

      Reply

  26. You mentioned playing with it for dish soap, but have you also used it for laundry? Or do you have another process for that?
    Thank you 🙂

    Reply

    1. Hi! Good question! I wouldn’t recommend this bar for laundry. I’m experimenting now with a recipe for dish soap and laundry soap is on my list too but I haven’t found something I love yet. We will definitely post something here when we do!

      Reply

  27. Thank you so much for this recipe, so excited to try it. I need help though, converting the measurements to metric please? I cant tell when your recipes are referring to regular oz or fluid? Thank you!

    Reply

  28. This is probably a silly question, but do you use the tallow shampoo bar as a body soap as well?

    Reply

  29. Hello! I’m excited to make this recipe! I’m just wondering if there is any reason why I couldn’t sub goat milk for the water? Thanks!

    Reply

  30. Hello, I used your recipe, and it is lovely. Thank you for sharing it with us. My sister is vegan, and she is interested in making bar shampoo with me. Do you have a substitute oil you could suggest to replace the tallow?

    Reply

  31. Hi there. I just now made my 1st half batch of shampoo bars. I’m so excited about this and intend to make my own lotions too. I’m a sr with very dry eczema skin and everything out there sets me off. I got one bar from a boutique and it leaves me feeling gummy. Since I’m only making for myself and my daughter. How do I make a batch but add different fragrances. Ty for what you do, you’re amazing

    Reply

    1. Hi! That’s awesome! I hope you really like this bar. To make different fragrances, I would use different essential oils. We love peppermint or my kids love the citrus flavors. Floral scents would be lovely too!

      Reply

  32. Before I buy all this equipment, I would like to try the soap and see if it will work for me. Do you sell this product?

    Reply

  33. I’m an old soap maker but had never made a specific shampoo bar so was interested to try your recipe. Two weeks after pouring into the mould I still can’t unmould the soap, it’s still very soft and sticky. It didn’t go through a gel phase or produce any heat after putting in the mould. Having run the recipe through the calculator on Magestic Mountain Sage it seems to me there’s a lot of water in your recipe but I’m not sure if that is why my soap hasn’t firmed up. Can you help with any ideas why my batch is so soft?

    Reply

    1. I’m so sorry that was your experience! Did you do the measurements by weight? Without knowing exactly what was done it’s hard to troubleshoot. The youtube video can give more of a helpful visual to see how we make it. Hope this helps!

      Reply

  34. Oh no! My friend and I made this today and I think we made a mistake. We measured fluid ounces for all the liquids and dry ounces for the lye. I’m looking at it now and I think you only are doing dry ounces when you measured. We ended up with more than the mold could hold. Am I correct that you only did one unit of measurement which was ounces as un weight, NOT fluid ounces?

    Reply

  35. I tried the tallow shampoo bar first time tonight. The lather and smell were amazing. My hair tangled really bad, was extremely dried out, couldn’t get my fingers through it. I did the vinegar rinse which made it more dried out. I added a lil leave in conditioner which helped but ended up with tender scalp. My hairs naturally curly so naturally dry to start with. Also, do you have list of oil blends you use. Ty

    Reply

  36. So in made this soap, it has cured for 4 weeks now. Today is the day I get to try it out. Can you tell me what u sell ur bars for? I need an idea of how much to charge. Even though I haven’t tried it myself yet but already have a few ppl interested in trying it too. Need to know how much I can sell it for. Thank you

    Reply

    1. Hey! Awesome, hope you love them! Our friends and family rate is $12/bar. It helps recoup the cost for materials and some of your time. If we were selling them retail on a larger scale we’d need to look into pricing more but they’d likely be higher.

      Reply

  37. Thank you for sharing this recipe and the dish soap. Could you please share the measurements for the shampoo bar omitting the tallow like you did for the dish soap? Thanks, we are plant-based.

    Reply

  38. I love this shampoo bar! It was my first time making soap, followed your directions exactly, and it turned out perfect. My husband and I use this shampoo bar exclusively, and after drying my hair I put a few drops of rose oil (that I made from my rose petals and sweet almond oil) in the palm of my hand and rub my palms together before smoothing it onto the middle and ends of my hair. It takes away the fly-aways and my hair is soft and has great volume. Many thanks for this great recipe.

    Reply

  40. Is there a substitute for castor oil? I am very allergic to it but would love to try this recipe. I didn’t know if olive oil, more coconut oil or almond oil would work instead.

    Reply

    1. Oh bummer! From what I’ve read, there really is no perfect substitute for castor oil. Babassu oil could be worth looking into or more coconut oil. I haven’t tried doing either though so I don’t know from experience.

      Reply

  41. We made the shampoo soap yesterday. We mixed in rosemary and peppermint essential oils after it made trace. Your recipe worked out perfectly. So sad that we have to wait 4 or 5 weeks to try them out. However, good things come to those who wait, I’ve heard.

    Reply

  42. Waving from over the border in Indiana! How long does a bar last when used as both a shampoo/body bar? We have five older kids still at home so we go through a lot of soap!

    Reply

    1. Hi! Only 3 of us use it right now in our family showering a few times each week (not everyday) and it lasts us a couple of months at least. Long hair vs. short hair and how often your are showering will impact how far it goes but with a family your size, maybe 1 month is more realistic?

      Reply

  43. Hello. My hair is struggling SO bad! I’ve been using the shampoo bar for 1-2 months now. There is always a residue in my hair and hairbrush even after a recent wash, my scalp is flaky, my hair feels heavy + oily/greasy all the time even right after washing. I don’t want to go back to commercial products due to health + pregnancy reasons but this is getting so frustrating. I absolutely have the lost the ability to wear my hair down ever anymore. I’ve done the bentonite clay mask a couple times and it seems to help very short term. What can I do??

    Reply

    1. Oh no!! A couple of thoughts/questions. Do you have hard water? We have well water and I’ve noticed the couple of times when we’ve forgot to fill our salt in the softener, it REALLY effects my hair and I don’t like how it feels at all (much like the way you described it). Have you been doing a conditioner at all? I’ve started doing an apple cider vinegar rinse after and really like how that leaves my hair feeling? Last thought…what’s the texture of your hair? I’ve heard from a few with really curly hair that this bar wasn’t the best for them but those with straight or more wavy hair it seems to work much better for. I hope this helps!

      Reply

  44. AWWW!!! We get to use your recipe this weekend! My sister and I have wanted to make this for so long for our gray hair. Thank you for sharing this! We are BEYOND excited to make it! Oh and I love the plant therapy essential oils – good call!

    Reply

  45. Hello,

    I just tried my first bar. It never came to pudding consistency. It’s thicker than water, but not quite trace… I was worried I was going to over mix the whole thing. Do you think it will cure hard enough? I also had a lot leftover… im worried I used too much of one of the ingredients. Fingers crossed it turns out! Thanks for putting this recipe on your site!

    Chelsea

    Reply

  46. I’m in Ireland and wondering when your recipe says ounces do you meant fluid ounces? Looking forward to making this and trying it out.

    Reply

  48. Is this bar good to use on color treated hair? After paying the high price to hide the grey I hate to wash Out all the color
    Thanks in advance. Susie

    Reply

    1. Hi Susie! To be completely honest, I’ve never tested it on color treated hair so I’m not sure. I’d be curious to hear from someone who has. Sorry I’m not more help on this one!

      Reply

  49. Hello! My family is LOVING your tallow balm and deodorant. So we are super excited to make this soap, as we know it will be just as fantastic! Do you have a link for your friend’s olive oil?
    Thanks!

    Reply

  50. Hi- I made this soap recipe this weekend, however, the olive oil(I’m thinking) rose to the top. It was soft when I cut the bars. I thought it might harden but it just melted. The rest of the soap is still in tact. Imagine a lemon bar. So, I scraped the “icing” off. Any thoughts on why this may have happened? I did not use an immersion blender. I hand mixed and I melted the oil in the lye water mixture not before hand. Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Hi! I’m thinking the soap did not actually reach “trace” when you mixed it or emulsified completely. Was it like a light pudding consistency when you poured it into your molds?

      Reply

  52. Howdy. Approximately how many minutes of blending does it take to get to pudding consistency? I blended for about 5 minutes and my arms got tired, so I stopped. It didn’t get to pudding consistency. Should I have gone longer? I thought I was over blending.

    Reply

    1. Hi! Do you have an immersion blender or blender or food processor you could use on low? I’ve never actually tried to do it by hand but you want to make sure that all of the oils emulsify. I hope this helps! You’ll know if you over blend if it starts to get too thick. Good luck!

      Reply

  54. I have a tallow soap recipe that I have been using for awhile now, but I wanted to try a shampoo bar. My soap is typically already quite hard when I unmold after 24hrs. This was still quite soft and sticky. Is that typical of this recipe? I measure by weight for everything.

    Reply

    1. Hi! I don’t think I’d describe ours as sticky after 24 hours. It’s definitely firm but still soft enough to easily be cut. I hope that makes sense. And you are correct, measure by weight!

      Reply

  55. Hi! Thank you so much for the recipe! I’m going to make this soon! In your video you were not wearing gloves while measuring the lye or pouring into the mold!! Please wear gloves! The soap is still caustic and will burn you for about 72 hours.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *